


Steeling the Past - Daniel's Story

by NorahBolt56



Series: Steeling the Past [5]
Category: Remington Steele (TV)
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-12-17
Updated: 2019-01-01
Packaged: 2019-09-21 03:40:56
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 6,822
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17035934
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/NorahBolt56/pseuds/NorahBolt56
Summary: This work is part of my 'Steeling the Past' series - it starts at the beginning of Steeling the Past 2, when Daniel and 'Harry' are heading across the English channel to Europe. It then delves into Daniel's memories of the past: the love of his life -  his son's mother, and then searching for and eventually finding his son. (Please note this is a work in progress - I will add further chapters as I write them).





	1. Chapter 1

_As Daniel came up on deck he spied Harry at the railing of the ferry, a brooding look on his face as he stared out across the Channel, lost in his own thoughts. Daniel regarded the young man for a moment or two, a proud smile crossing his face as he noticed the looks he was getting from the female passengers. He’s certainly inherited his mother’s looks he thought to himself, as that old pang of regret washed over him again, his thoughts momentarily returning to the past…._

Chapter 1 

Daniel had been a young man in his twenties when he arrived in London in the spring of 1951, keen to ‘try his luck’ as it were in England and even further afield in Europe. Oh there was money to be made there and lots of it for a man in his line of ‘work’. The fact he’d got himself in trouble with the law in his native America was also an added incentive to broaden his horizons abroad as well.

And so it was that he found himself in a pub one night a few days after he’d arrived in London and there behind the bar he spied her – a tall, raven haired beauty with the bluest eyes he had ever seen and a smile that took his breath away. Being a ‘man of the world’, Daniel had certainly had his fair share of women, his good looks and natural charm enabling him to be quite successful in the romance department, but this one was something else. Perhaps the fact she gave him short shrift at first and didn’t immediately fall for his charm intrigued him. Or perhaps it was her lilting Irish accent or the way those beautiful blue eyes of hers sparkled when she laughed. But whatever it was, Daniel was sure of one thing, she was something special and the most exquisite creature he had ever laid eyes on.

“What do you fancy?” she asked him with a smile as he came up to the bar. “Besides you my dear?” he replied with a devillish lift of his eyebrows and his most charming smile. The young woman, he guessed her to be in her late teens or early twenties, rolled her eyes at him and laughed. Another fancy man trying to flirt with her, she thought to herself ruefully, although he was rather handsome she noted.

“Oh like I haven’t been hearing that line before,” she laughed, her accent doing something to Daniel he couldn’t quite explain.  “Now are you going to order a drink at least so I can earn my keep?” she added as his smile got a bit wider. “Only if you tell me your name,” Daniel replied and despite herself, she found herself smiling back at him. “Alright then – it’s Mary. Now what will you be drinking?” With that Daniel took her hand in his and kissed it, taking her by surprise. “Very pleased to meet you Mary – I’m Daniel,” he introduced himself with a cheeky gleam in his eye.

Daniel returned to the pub the following night and every night that week, until finally she agreed to go out with him. Over time they began spending more and more time together. Though he was reluctant to tell her much about his past he had been eager to learn about hers. Her parents had died when she was young and she had been raised by an elderly aunt and had come to London the previous year to make some money so she could go to drama school. Her dream was to become an actress and move to Hollywood and make movies, and with her looks Daniel was sure she would be a smash. She would drag him to movies every chance she got, her eyes lighting up with excitement as the story played out on the big screen. Despite his better judgement Daniel knew he was falling for her - he knew emotional ties were never a good idea in his line of work, especially when you might need to cut and run at any time, but there was just something about her that made all his sense fly out the window.

And so he had come up with a grand plan which would set them up for life, or so he thought. They would be able to marry, buy a house of their own, and perhaps even raise a family.  Although Daniel had never really seen himself as the family man type, with Mary the thought didn’t seem so bad. All he knew was that he wanted to spend the rest of his life with her and he would do whatever it took to make that happen. He might even be able to help her make her dreams of becoming a Hollywood star a reality. So he organised what he thought was a foolproof sting, and planned to propose to her once he had pulled it off.

However his somewhat cocky self-confidence was his downfall and the sting fell apart at the last minute, and Daniel ended up being the one stung. He was arrested for receiving stolen goods and found himself sentenced to two years in ‘the nick’. The last time he saw Mary she had come to visit him not long after his incarceration, but thinking he was doing the right thing he had pushed her away, thinking she would be better off without him. He remembered with regret, her tears as he told her not to wait for him, and when she tried to argue the point saying, “But Daniel I’m…” he had cut her off by hanging up the phone they were talking through and walking out of the visitor’s room and out of her life.

_He would never forget though the look she had in those blue eyes of hers that day as he turned away from her – it was the same look he now observed in the eyes of her son as he stared out to sea. A look that spoke of broken dreams and broken hearts. Daniel then vowed to do for their son what he couldn’t do for his beloved Mary – help him survive. He would continue to teach and guide him, give him the benefit of his experience, and help him nurture his natural talent – and one day, when the time was right, he would tell him the truth. But until then he would be his mentor, his partner in crime, but most importantly, his friend…_


	2. Chapter 2

With the last bit of information he’d obtained  as to his son’s whereabouts, Daniel then headed to London, Brixton to be exact, hoping his latest lead wouldn’t turn out to be a dead end as so many of the others had previously been, or that he would miss him again by a matter of days or weeks as had also been the case on occasion over the last twelve or so years that he had been searching for him. The thought of his and Mary’s son being passed from pillar to post and then even more disturbingly as his latest lead suggested, running away and fending for himself on the streets, wracked him with guilt. Once he arrived in London he got in touch with some old ‘associates’ who he thought might be able to help him in his search. They were pickpockets and petty thieves and often got the young street kids to do their dirty work for them, slipping them a quid from the takings if they were feeling generous. Although he would have liked to have hoped for a better life for his son, given his sporadic education and the fact he had stowed away on a ferry from Dublin, he knew the boy would more than likely be living on the streets.

Daniel knew it was a long shot – the only thing he had to identify him with was a faded photograph taken by one of Mary’s distant relatives who had taken him in for a while when he was about five or six, and the description they had given of him: “Oh he had his mother’s eyes that’s for sure – and her thick dark hair.” Of course he would be around fourteen now and certainly would have grown from the small boy in the photograph. He pulled the photo out of his jacket pocket where he kept it close to his heart and showed it to one of his former associates. The man took the photo and peered at the young boy with the lock of hair hanging over his forehead and the intense look in his eyes. “You know that does look like one of them young fellas that usually hang around the Tube Station trying their luck – I think he’s run a job for me once or twice. He was pretty good too from memory.” A glimmer of hope struck Daniel as he asked eagerly, “Where can I find him?”

He followed the other man down a series of streets and alleyways until they came across a bunch of young, mainly teenage boys in the distance, skylarking and mucking about. “There he is – that tall one,” Daniel’s former associate nodded towards the lanky, thin, dark haired boy who was nearly a head taller than some of the other boys. As the boy turned in their direction for a moment, a lock of hair fell over his forehead just as it was in the photo Daniel carried of his son, and his heart skipped a beat. Was that him? Was that his long lost son? he wondered, not knowing if he could dare to believe it. He then observed as the dark haired teenager laughed at something one of the other boys said, a lopsided grin crossing his face, not unlike Daniel’s own he noted. “Do you think that’s him then – the boy you’re looking for?” his associate asked, breaking him out of his hopeful reverie for a moment. “I’m not sure – but he could be,” Daniel replied, trying to not get his hopes up too much, just in case. His associate then wished him luck and went on his way as Daniel thanked him sincerely for his help. 

Daniel surreptiously kept watching the boy. So he wouldn’t be too obvious he sat down on a bench and pulled a newspaper out of his coat and pretended to read it, all the while watching him out of the corner of his eye.  He had definitely been living on the streets for a while by the look of him – his thick black hair was a scruffy mess, his clothes tattered and torn and he looked like he hadn’t had a bath in quite some time and he was painfully thin which tore at Daniel’s heartstrings. Even if he wasn’t his son, the thought of a child going hungry was something that upset Daniel considerably. But despite all that, Daniel could tell with a bit of cleaning up he would be a handsome lad.

As the group of boys had moved a bit closer to where he sat, Daniel could pick up a bit of their conversation. “We should go fellas, we’re not having much luck round here,” one of the boys stated but the one who may have been his son shook his head, with that cheeky, lopsided grin crossing his face again. “Don’t be an eejit Freddy – you gotta make your own luck you know,” he replied in a thick Irish brogue, which again fed that glimmer of hope inside Daniel, as the pieces started falling into place. “Here’s some luck now,” he added as his grin got even wider and he nodded towards a woman who was walking down the street not far away from them. With that the boy jumped down from the wall he’d been balancing on with a natural agility Daniel observed, filing that away for future reference, and began walking behind the woman. “Excuse me Miss,” he called out, trying his best to sound polite. The woman stopped and turned, regarding the scruffy street urchin in front of her with a scornful look. “What do you want?” she demanded. With that he forced a smile onto his face as he bit back a retort and Daniel noticed her expression soften a little, thinking to himself with a chuckle, oh he’s a charmer that one. “I just wondered if you dropped your handkerchief back there as I found this on the ground,” he replied as he pulled a handkerchief out of his pocket and placed it in her hand before drawing his hand away quickly.

The woman looked at the handkerchief with surprise then went to say “No it’s not mine”, but the boy had already run off, before she had even noticed that in placing the handkerchief in her hand he had quick as a flash pulled her watch off as he withdrew his hand from hers. Once she realized and called out “Stop thief! That boy stole my watch!” he and his mates were long gone.

Daniel smiled to himself as the boy ran past him with his prize, yelling to his friends to run as well, knowing the bobbies would be likely to be there any minute. He certainly had impressive skills for one so young, Daniel mused. As he ran past him, Daniel caught a glimpse of an excited gleam in the boy’s bright blue eyes and it was like a jolt hit him  - it was the same excited gleam he had seen in his beloved Mary’s eyes when she had watched a movie and there was no mistaking those eyes – they were the same brilliant blue that he had only ever seen in one other person, the love of his life. The mother of his child – and now he had found him…


	3. Chapter 3

The next morning Daniel passed by the alley he had found his son in the day before, only to be disappointed when he found it empty. Following a hunch given the time of day, he headed toward the Tube Station, blending in with the stream of commuters heading towards the entrance, all the while keeping an eye out. And then he spotted him – hitting marks in the crowd with a practiced ease Daniel observed with more than a degree of pride. He also noticed two of the boys he had been with the day before also ’plying their trade’ through the crowd, before the three of them regrouped down a laneway near the station entrance to secretly compare their takings. Using some ‘skills’ of his own Daniel hid behind some crates at the end of the laneway but close enough so he could hear their conversation.

“We did alright today fellas eh?” the boy who was his son said as the other two nodded. “How much did you get then ‘arry?” the smaller of the other two boys said in a thick Cockney accent as Daniel’s ears pricked up. Harry had he called him? Was his name Harry? In all the searching he had done for his son he hadn’t been able to confirm with any conviction what his actual name was. He hadn’t even been able to locate his birth certificate. One of Mary’s distant relatives who had taken him in had called him one thing, another something else, which only added to Daniel’s sense of guilt and regret that his son may not have a name to call his own. “About twenty quid,” his son announced with a proud grin as he emptied out the wallets and purses he’d managed to pick pocket. “That’s not fair ‘arry – how come you always nab the most?” the shorter boy complained as ‘Harry’s’ grin got a little wider. “Cause I’m better at it than you Chalkie,” he boasted with a laugh as Chalkie shot him a somewhat dirty look. The other boy with them then chimed in, “Ere I bet you can’t nab more than ten quid in one go Harry,” as Harry cocked an eyebrow at him. “Oh you reckon eh Freddie? Put your money where your mouth is and I’ll bloody well show you I can,” Harry replied with a cockiness that reminded Daniel somewhat of himself as he continued to listen to their conversation, a plan quickly forming in his head as he quietly moved out of the laneway, back nearer the station entrance.

With that the boy called Freddie, pulled a five pound note out of his pocket. “Alright you’re on Harry – I’ll give you a fiver if you can do it,” he said as an excited gleam lit up young Harry’s blue eyes – he always loved a challenge. “Okay -  watch and learn guys,” he quipped with a cheeky wink as Freddie and Chalkie groaned and playfully swiped at him as he ducked then jogged down to the end of the laneway.

Daniel spied him and set about putting his plan into action as he also spied the other two boys watching from their hiding spots in the laneway. Making sure he was in plain sight, Daniel made a show of pulling his wallet out of his pocket and counting the notes in it before putting it back in his pocket, his son’s eagle eyes watching his every move as he feigned nonchalance, leaning against the brick wall at the end of the lane whistling to himself, with his hands stuffed in his pockets. Daniel then deliberately walked past him, as Harry made his move, deliberately bumping into him and apologizing as he did so. “Beggin’ your pardon sir,” he mumbled, putting on a believable Cockney accent which Daniel noted with interest. As Harry’s hand quickly reached into Daniel’s pocket grabbing the wallet, Daniel’s hand shot out just as quickly and grabbed him by the wrist. “Not so fast son,” he said under his breath, realizing the irony of his words, as the boy’s eyes met his with a mixture of shock and fear. He tried to pull his hand away and although he was strong, a fourteen year old boy with hardly any meat on his bones was no match for a grown man, especially one who now he had finally found him, had no intention of letting him go. “Let go of me you effin bastard!” Harry spat at him through gritted teeth, lapsing back into his Irish brogue, trying to sound tough but the fear in his eyes gave him away.

“Now, now, let’s not create a scene – we don’t want the police coming around now do we? And watch your language my boy - it’s terribly uncouth,” Daniel replied under his breath as Harry glared at him, then he added, “Now if you’re smart you’ll come with me – I have a proposition for you.” At that Harry’s eyes narrowed – he’d been on the streets long enough to know what some men wanted with young boys like him. He’d been lucky enough to keep clear of them so far and he wasn’t about to have a bar of it – he’d rather be turned over to the coppers. “You can eff off you effin filthy pervert – and get your hands off me!” Harry snapped back as he tried even harder to pull his hand away. When Daniel saw the boy’s other hand clenching into a fist he let his hand go, not wanting to scare the boy or give him the wrong idea – he needed him to trust him after all. And as he had said to him, he didn’t want to draw attention to themselves.

“I assure you that’s not what I meant,” Daniel stated as he looked the boy in the eye and something about the way he looked at him made Harry hesitate for a second before fleeing, as his mates had done once they’d seen Harry’s mark grab him, not wanting to hang around in case the police were called. “You’ve got some skills my boy I’ll give you that but I can help you develop them even more. A good canon would never get caught as easily as I just caught you,” Daniel said as Harry considered him warily. His head was telling him to run while he had the chance but his curiosity had been piqued.  “What the hell is a canon?” he demanded as Daniel smiled – he’d got him curious and that was a start. “A canon is a master pickpocket,” Daniel explained as Harry looked at him skeptically. “How do you know that?” he asked as Daniel’s smile got a bit wider. “Let’s just say we’re in the same line of business my boy. I could teach you a thing or two – if you’re interested. And your skills could come in handy for a few jobs I’ve got planned,” Daniel said as he watched the young boy – he could see the conflict in his expression. Harry tugged on his earlobe, wondering if he could trust this guy or not and if he was for real.  

“And what if I say no?’ he posed the question that Daniel was waiting for. Daniel looked him in the eye then replied, “Well that’s up to you - I won’t hand you over to the police, let’s call it ‘honour amongst thieves’ shall we? But if you want a chance to get off the streets, have a proper roof over your head and a hot meal when you need it, then the offer’s there if you want it.”

Harry regarded him for a moment then asked, “How do I know I can trust you?”.

“You don’t,” Daniel conceded, “but then again - how do I know I can trust you? Seems like we’re both in the same position hmm? I’m willing to chance it if you are. Tell you what – let’s chat about it a bit more over a bite to eat. Are you hungry?” Daniel asked, hoping that appealing to the boy’s stomach would do the trick.

Harry hesitated for a second or two then decided he didn’t have much to lose, especially if the bloke was being honest with him. And he was hungry… “Okay then,” he agreed, still not quite sure if he’d made the right decision or not. But in his young life he had already had to make some tough decisions – like the decision to run away to London, and if this bloke could give him a decent meal and a roof over his head and teach him a bit then maybe it was worth taking the chance.

“Good to hear. I can see a bright future for you my boy,” Daniel stated enthusiastically, trying to hide the depth of his emotions as he looked at his son, who now he could see him close up, reminded him even more of his mother. “I’m not your boy – I’m no-one’s boy,” Harry retorted defiantly, as a flicker of pain crossed his face which tore at Daniel’s heart, as he wished he could tell him the truth then and there. All in good time, all in good time, he thought to himself as he forced a smile onto his face. “It’s just a figure of speech I assure you,” he replied quickly then added, “Shall we?” as he nodded towards a café across the street. “I’m Daniel by the way – Daniel Chalmers,” he introduced himself to his son, as he stuck out his hand to shake the young boy’s, fighting the urge to hug him. Harry stared at his hand for a moment – no one had ever shook his hand before and then he cautiously reached out and shook it. “And you are?” Daniel asked when the boy didn’t give his name.  

At that his son looked a bit uncomfortable for a moment or two as a pang of realization hit Daniel – the lad himself didn’t even know his real name. But the boy forced a smile onto his face, putting on a brave front as he replied seemingly casually, “Pick a name – I’ve probably had it.” Daniel regarded him for a moment then said, “Well I heard your friends calling you Harry – so if that’s what your friends call you, that’s what I’ll call you too.”


	4. Chapter 4

As Daniel and Harry entered the café across the street, the proprietor caught sight of the scruffy street kid following the middle-aged man and called out, “His kind’s not welcome in here – I’m not having any of those thievin’ little street brats in my café!” An angry look crossed Harry’s face as he went to spit out a retort and storm out – he was sick of being treated like he was nothing all the time.  Daniel however, observing his reaction, put a hand on his arm to stop him. “You can’t run all your life Harry – believe me I know. Although sometimes, especially in our line of work, running may be a good idea, today is not one of those times,” Daniel said to him quietly as he looked him in the eye. Harry hesitated for a moment, wondering if Daniel was right. Daniel then turned to the proprietor and putting on a posh English accent replied, “It’s alright – he’s with me.” Harry looked at him with some surprise as he had spoken in an American accent before. “You’re not the only one with a few tricks up their sleeve my boy,” Daniel said in reply to his surprised look, with a sly twinkle in his eye as Harry couldn’t help but grin.

They sat down at a table, Harry still feeling a bit uncomfortable. Although when a young, pretty  waitress brought them menus Daniel noticed the teenage boy sit up a bit straighter and push back the lock of hair that fell over his forehead. He’s got an eye for the ladies, just like his old man, Daniel thought to himself as an amused grin crossed his face. “What’s so funny?” Harry demanded, noticing the expression on the man’s face. “Oh nothing – you just remind me of someone that’s all,” Daniel replied as he put his napkin on his lap. Figuring he should follow Daniel’s example, Harry put his own napkin on his lap as he asked, “Oh yeah – who’s that?”

“Myself,” Daniel chuckled as Harry couldn’t help but grin a bit as well. “You smarten yourself up a bit and have a bath for starters and you might have half a chance with a pretty young thing like that,” Daniel added as he cocked an eyebrow at him.  Harry’s grin got a bit wider then he thought about what Daniel had said. “Are you saying I stink?’ he asked a little defensively as Daniel smiled and said, “Nothing a good bit of soap and water wouldn’t fix. Now shall we order? What do you fancy?” as he nodded towards the menu.

Not really sure what to do as he had never eaten in a café or restaurant before, Harry hesitantly picked up the menu and stared at it for a few moments as he chewed on a fingernail then closed it and put it back down on the table, avoiding Daniel’s gaze as he focused his on the ground. “So what have you decided on Harry?” Daniel inquired as Harry mumbled, “Ah..nothing. I’m not that hungry actually.” At that Daniel looked at him with some surprise – the boy certainly looked like he hadn’t had a decent meal in quite some time. “Come now my boy – surely you must feel like something? Have another look,” he urged him as he pushed the menu towards him again. Harry pushed it back roughly and shot back “I said I’m not hungry!” his blue eyes flashing with anger, but Daniel also caught a glimpse of something else in his expression – embarrassment.

Realisation then hit Daniel – he couldn’t read the menu. Of course that made sense he thought to himself – the poor lad had probably had sporadic education at best, and probably nothing at all for the past few years since he’d been on his own. “I can help you read it if you like,” Daniel offered understandingly, his voice quiet so as not to cause his son more embarrassment as he gave him a knowing look.  “I don’t need your bloody help!” Harry snapped, more out of self-defence than anything as Daniel regarded him for a moment, knowing he was going to have to be patient and tread carefully with him. “Harry.. there is no shame in needing a bit of help from time to time. But there is shame in being a fool not to accept it when it’s offered freely,” Daniel stated as Harry’s blue eyes bored into him.

Daniel watched him for a moment as the boy’s pride battled with his hunger, his hunger eventually winning out. “Okay I’ll have a pie,” he finally said as he folded his arms across his chest, a pout crossing his face. “What sort of pie?” Daniel persisted gently as he opened the menu in front of Harry and pointed out the different pie options. “There’s beef, potato, pork..” he rattled off as he pointed to each one, Harry following his finger as he did so. “That one – I’ll have that one then,” he replied hurriedly as he pointed to the pork pie listing. “Excellent choice my boy – pork pie it is,” Daniel stated encouragingly as he smiled at Harry and motioned for the waitress to come and take their order.

“I will have a Yorkshire pudding my dear and my young friend here will have a pork pie. Oh and we’ll have a pot of tea for the two of us thanks,” Daniel ordered as Harry piped up, “I don’t drink tea.” Daniel looked at him with a twinkle in his eye and replied in his best upper class English accent, “Maybe not now Harry but you will. Every young gentleman must drink tea – it’s such a civilized drink.”

Harry snorted a laugh at Daniel’s comment, “Well I ain’t no gentleman.” Daniel smiled and nodded. “Maybe not at the moment but by the time I’m finished with you, you will be.” Harry looked at him for a moment or two, pondering Daniel’s response, his eyebrows furrowed.

“Oh I get it – _Boystown, Spencer Tracey, Mickey Rooney, MGM, 1938_ ,” Harry suddenly rattled off as Daniel looked at him in surprise. “What?” Daniel asked with a laugh. “You know _Boystown_ \- the movie,” Harry stated as Daniel nodded. “Yes I know the movie Harry but what’s that got to do with anything?”

At that Harry sat back and regarded the man sitting opposite him. “Is that your deal – like in _Boystown_ I mean? You’re trying to make up for your past sins by rescuing a poor little waif off the streets and reforming him?” Daniel looked at him thoughtfully, carefully choosing his words before replying so as not to give too much away, as his son had hit a bit too close to the mark. He was in fact trying to make up for his past sins of abandoning the woman he loved through his foolishness and inadvertently his son as well. “Something like that,” he stated with a rueful smile, as Harry continued to stare at him. “So why me? Out of all the kids out there on the streets?” he asked as Daniel’s heart screamed silently, ‘because you’re my son.’ But instead he replied, “I see a unique God given talent in you Harry my boy, which I can help you nurture. I can teach you the ‘tricks of the trade’ so to speak and give you the benefit of my experience. After all – you don’t just want to be a pick pocket all your life do you? You could be so much more Harry, so much more.”

Harry went to ask another question but the waitress then returned with their meals and his hunger temporarily put his curiosity on hold as he shovelled the food into his mouth. After a while he noticed people staring at him with some disdain at his lack of table manners as he wiped his mouth on his sleeve. “Can we get out of here - people are staring at me,” he muttered uncomfortably under his breath. Daniel however winked at him and said, “Oh no my dear boy they’re staring at me and my stunning sartorial elegance,” as he made a show of straightening his tie and smiling at the other patrons. Grateful for Daniel’s response and feeling himself starting to warm up a bit more to him, Harry couldn’t help but grin. “I have no idea what you just said but it sounded good,” he laughed through a mouthful of food. Daniel smiled at him as he replied, “Basically what I said is that if you dress the part, people are more willing to believe you are who you say you are. Now lesson number one to becoming a gentleman Harry– don’t talk with your mouth full and try to use your napkin to wipe your mouth, not your sleeve.”

Harry bit back the smart retort that automatically came to mind – he normally didn’t like people telling him what to do. After all, he’d fared alright on his own for almost four years now, but somehow he got the feeling that this Daniel bloke was genuine in his offer to help him and that maybe he could really learn something off him. “I can give you a quid for this meal if you want it but that’s all,” he mumbled, not wanting Daniel to think he was a welcher, but Daniel shook his head.

“I don’t want your money Harry – I think you need that more than I do. But since we’re talking business, here’s my proposition for you. I’m not as young as I used to be so I could use someone nimble and light on their feet like you to help me out with some ‘jobs’ shall we say. Then there’s some other scams and things I have planned which you could be useful in pulling off too. In return, as I said before, I’ll provide you with a roof over your head if you want it and the opportunity to make something of yourself, other than what your current circumstances could provide you with. You help me out and I’ll help you Harry – anything we make we’ll split seventy/thirty,” he proposed as Harry’s eyes narrowed a bit. “I’m not an eejit – I can count you know! Fifty/fifty or nothing,” he stated adamantly, his intense gaze never wavering from Daniel’s. Daniel had to hide his proud smile – the lad certainly was no fool, but as always, he enjoyed the to and fro of negotiation. “Sixty/forty,” he countered as Harry raised an eyebrow at him in a gesture not unlike Daniel himself. “Alright you drive a hard bargain my young friend – fifty/fifty it is,” Daniel replied with a laugh and a shake of his head.

“Now you seem like a smart lad Harry but I’m gathering you haven’t had much schooling so I can help you fill in the gaps there too if you like,” Daniel put his offer on the table as Harry looked at him again, silently thinking it over for a minute or two.

“So what are your thoughts on my offer Harry?” Daniel asked. “I’m still trying to figure out if you’re full of shite or not,” Harry stated honestly which gave Daniel a chuckle. “Well you’re certainly straight to the point aren’t you? Well there’s only one way you’re going to find out isn’t there my boy?” Daniel retorted as he poured them both a cup of tea. “Guess so,” Harry replied with a grin, figuring nothing ventured, nothing gained. “So I take it that’s a yes?” Daniel asked with a smile, hoping he had finally made a break through with the boy. Harry nodded as he shook Daniel’s offered hand and said, “Okay Daniel  – you’ve got yourself a deal.” Daniel’s smile got even wider as he picked up his cup of tea, motioning for Harry to do the same. “Here’s to a long and prosperous partnership Harry my boy – oh I think we’re going to do great things together. The world is our oyster!” Daniel stated enthusiastically as he clinked cups with Harry who grinned at the man who would become his friend and mentor and one day would reveal to him his true identity.

With that thought in mind, Daniel decided to carefully broach the subject of Harry’s parents (or rather lack thereof). “So Harry if you don’t mind me asking, how did you end up here - in London I mean? I gather from your accent you’re not a local – although you did do a fair Cockney accent before,” he complimented him. Harry hesitated for a moment before replying – his past was something he preferred not to get into but he didn’t really know how to avoid answering. “Well I never knew my Mammy – she died giving birth to me so I’ve been told,” he said and the pain Daniel momentarily saw in his son’s eyes almost broke his heart, as he forced a neutral expression onto his face. “I’m sorry to hear that my boy,” he stated sincerely as Harry mumbled “Thanks,” and averted his eyes for a moment, to blink back his tears Daniel surmised. “Go on,” he urged him gently. Harry cleared his throat before continuing as a lump had suddenly formed in it. “There’s not much more to it really – I got passed around some of her cousins and aunts for a while, a few foster families,  a stint or two in orphanages. And then one day I figured I’d be better off faring for meself, rather than putting up with all that shite so I ran away – I figured no-one would really miss me,” he stated a little bitterly, as Daniel listened to his son’s life story, his sense of guilt and regret increasing the more Harry told him. “How old were you then?” Daniel inquired. “About ten or so I guess. Then I thought I may as well seek my fortune in jolly old England so I stowed away on a ferry from Dublin and I’ve been here ever since,” Harry replied with a wry grin.

“And how old are you now?” Daniel asked, although he had a fairly good idea already. Harry did some calculations in his head before replying, “About fourteen I guess.”  Daniel nodded and remarked, “You’re tall for fourteen,’’ as Harry grinned rather proudly, “Yeah I’ve always been tall for my age, or so I’ve been told. I remember one of my mammy’s cousins I stayed with for a while complaining I was always growing out of me clothes.” As Daniel looked at some of the too short clothes the boy was now wearing he saw that was still a bit of a problem for him.

He then hesitated for a moment or two then asked the question he knew he had to ask. “And your father?” he asked as the grin faded from Harry’s face to be replaced by a frown.  “Fecking piece of shite he was,” Harry spat out, his blue eyes blazing, his sudden fury and cursing taking Daniel a bit aback.

“I don’t know much about him other than he abandoned my mother and me. He wasn’t there for her – took off before I was even born so I was told.”

“Perhaps he had a good reason though? Did you ever consider that?” Daniel stated, as if he was just making conversation, while he was fighting the urge to explain his actions and tell his son how sorry he was he hadn’t been there for him and his mother. At that Harry let out a derisive laugh as his eyes bored into Daniel. “What good reason is there to abandon your child and his mother eh? Tell me that eh!”. Realising it was a very sensitive topic best left for another time, Daniel put up his hands in a gesture of surrender. “No you’re right Harry,” he conceded as Harry replied firmly, “Damn right I am.”

Daniel then changed the subject in an effort to calm his son down saying, “I must say I’m impressed with your movie knowledge Harry – how did you know all that about _Boystown?”._ At that Harry’s expression softened into a lopsided grin again, which Daniel much preferred to the hard, cold expression he’d had when talking about his father. “I dunno,” Harry shrugged, “I like movies I guess. I sneak into fleapits all the time when I can – as well as watching the movie it’s a warm place to kip afterwards if I’m not found,” he explained as Daniel thought a little sadly to himself, ‘Just like his mother,’ remembering the way those beautiful blue eyes of hers had lit up when watching or talking about a favourite movie, just like her son’s were now. “Do you like movies Daniel?” Harry asked as Daniel looked at him with a wistful smile and replied, “I used to my boy, I used to.”

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End file.
